Authors and Angels
by RoseNymph
Summary: Axel Sinclair is the passionate author of a popular series of children's books, that are all about fate and destiny, and a bit of adventure. He is completely unaware of his own fate and it kicks off the second he takes pity on his adorable brunette neighbor. Letting Sora into his apartment is going to bring Axel the adventure of a lifetime. He just doesn't know it yet. !Akuroku!
1. Chapter 1

**First of all, I want to make sure everyone knows that I am NOT giving up on SMAS, nor is it on haitus. I will finish it soon, I just needed to step back and work on something new to get the juices flowing again.**

**Hence, this little darling. Let me know if you guys like it **

**+++Do not own KH+++**

**ENJOY!**

I sat finishing off my Long Island Iced Tea, and sighed softly. Happy twenty-third birthday to me. My friend Demyx and his boyfriend Zexion had dragged me all the way to this stupid bar, on this stupid stormy day. They said I needed to get out more and stop being so, as Demyx put it, 'hermitty'.

However, Dem seemed to think he was superman when it came to drinking and Zexion had ended up carting him out after an hour of being at the bar. I glanced at my watch and almost chuckled. It was only 9:45pm. If I left now, I could probably finish the last bit of my latest chapter in my newest book.

I smiled to myself as I thought about how excited my pesky little neighbor would be when he got back from his vacation to a few new chapters of his favorite series. The kid acted as if he was still six years old sometimes, even though he was almost twenty-one. I pretended to be gruff with him, but I had a soft spot for the little pest and he knew it.

I sighed and waved the bartender over so that I could pay my tab. The man with spiky black hair came over to me, but looked rather haunted. I couldn't help but ask him why he looked so upset as I handed him the bills. He shook his head,

"Some kid came in here looking like hell and asking for Riku. I told him that it was my first night here and I didn't know who that was. He ran out before I could offer to call him a cab."

He sighed and ran a hand through his messy black hair,

"The poor kids gonna catch his death in this weather. All he had on was a red t-shirt and jeans, looking like he'd been in some helluva fight."

I frowned "Riku lives in my apartment complex. He works here on weekdays, but he and his boyfriend are on vacation right now. I wonder who that kid was."

The man shrugged "The kid looked terrified. Would you mind leaving your number in case he comes back. He said he didn't know how else to get into contact with them."

I nodded and gave him the number. I wouldn't mind helping some kid out, hell I wrote children's books for a living. I kind of felt bad that he'd run out into this weather like that, but there wasn't much I could do.

I left the bar and walked to my car, glad that the rain had decided to let up for a least a little while. I hated the rain with a passion. I sighed and pressed the unlock button on my keychain. I was never happier to hear that 'thunk' sound. I would be home soon and I could relax.

I'd just sat down in the driver's seat when I heard the screams. I shot up out of my car, slamming the door shut, and headed toward the sounds. I broke into a dead sprint when I could understand the words. A terrified voice cried out,

"STOP! P-Please! HEL—mph!"

I turned the corner and saw an alleyway between two big brownstone buildings. I felt a wave of fury roll through me when I realized that the residents weren't doing anything to help whoever was in trouble. The whole fucking human race disgusted me sometimes.

I stopped short when I saw a little blonde being pinned to the wall on one side, by some neanderthal looking thug in a beanie. He'd ripped the boy's shirt open and had his tongue shoved down the blonde's throat despite the smaller male's struggling.

He made a sound of pain and yanked away hissing "You little bitch! You fucking bit me!"

The blonde was choking on air and the thug slammed his head back against the wall. He slumped forward and crumpled on the ground. I was already moving. I sent my fist into the thug's jaw with everything I had and he went flying back.

He recoiled and staggered before catching himself on the wall and snarling,

"What the fuck man? Can't you see I'm a little busy here?!"

I snapped "The kid said "No" you ass. I'm positive that doesn't translate to 'please rape me'!"

The thug growled and moved to grab the now unconscious boy and I gripped his wrist and pinned him to the wall. He struggled but I put pressure on his arm and snarled in a deadly voice,

"What part of **fuck off** do you not seem to get moron? I will break your fucking arm."

He cried out in pain as I pressed harder, but yelled "I saw the little slut first man, he's mine. Get your own!"

I snapped. I wrenched his arm up and heard it pop out of socket. He screamed in agony and I slung him to the ground on the other side of the alley. He landed, ass first, in a puddle and I leaned down, my face inches from his and hissed,

"If I ever see your face again I'll make sure to break more than just your arm. Got it memorized?"

He nodded, cradling his arm and I swept my arm out "Get lost!"

He ran off and I turned and looked at the kid crumpled up on the ground. I sighed seeing the dirty red shirt and jeans. This must be the kid from the bar. Damn, today just wasn't his day was it?

I walked over and scooped him up, noticing that he was soaking wet. I looked at the back of his head and there was some swelling, but no blood. I saw that there were old bruises on his exposed chest and hissed through my teeth, what the hell happened to this kid?

I decided pretty quickly to just take him home with me. If he hadn't run to the hospital in the first place with all these bruises and shit there had to be a good reason. I'd wait for him to wake up and then I'd get the story.

I carried him back to my car and when I sat him in the passenger seat I cringed inwardly seeing that the button for his jeans was missing and the zipper was broken. I should have fucking murdered that bastard in the alley when I had the chance.

I shucked off my coat and covered the blond with it to preserve some of his privacy. I went around to my side and got in. I made sure to turn the heat way up to help the boy warm up. I rolled my shoulders in an attempt to calm myself and pulled out of my parking spot.

I'd made it all the way to the freeway before the little blonde started to moan and come to. I figured it would be best to pull over to explain and I was extremely glad I did. He blinked his eyes open and stiffened and I saw his hands move around under the jacket before he snapped his head to me with eyes full of terror. He screamed,

"Wait N-No! Who are you? Where am I?!"

I opened my mouth and he scrambled for the door handle. I grabbed his arm "Whoa kid stop, we're on the interstate! Just let me explain! Alright?"

He kept hold of the lock and the handle so he could get out and looked at me with big blue eyes full of confusion and fear. I let go of his arm and said

"There now. Easy love. I promise I mean you no harm. You were looking for Riku right?"

He trembled, and breathed out, "H-how do you know that?"

I put my hands up in a neutral position,

"The bartender told me. He was rather upset that you'd run off in the rain looking like you'd been through hell."

He sniffled, just staring, owl-eyed, at me and I continued,

"I was getting in my car when I heard you screaming for help and I saw that brute pinning you in the alley."

He let go of the lock and handle to pull the coat tighter and let out a sob. I relaxed a bit when he let go of the door handle, but he looked so defeated that I felt sick. I reached out and very hesitantly put my hand on his shoulder, saying firmly,

"Hey, look. It's okay. He's not going to touch you again. Not ever. Alright love?"

The blonde nodded and I pulled my hand back before I asked quietly,

"Why were you looking for Riku?"

He sniffled "How do you know him?"

I scrutinized the boy and figured I'd go first. I didn't want to push him. I gave him a small smile and said, "Well you see, I don't really know Riku so much as I know his boyfriend Sora. Riku works all night during the week so he sleeps for most of the day. This leaves his hyper boyfriend alone and miserable during the day."

The boy's eyes were wide and tears shined, threatening to fall. I continued in a soft tone,

"I work from home as an author for a children's book series called "_The Kingdom of Hearts_" Sora was pacing on the balcony one day looking particularly miserable, and I let him into my apartment, feeling sorry for him. Ever since he figured out what I do, he comes during the day and I read him the latest chapter in the book."

The blonde was sniffling and tears started to fall. I frowned "What's wrong love?"

He sobbed and said "S-Sora's my b-brother. He left two years ago and I was trying to find Riku to get to him."

I frowned "Sora said that his family shunned him for being gay. So why are you looking for him now?"

The boy looked frantic and choked out,

"I-I didn't know why he left. My parents never told me! I-I c-came out to them this morning and d-dad threw me out. I've been trying for years to find Sora so I could ask him why he left me there, b-but none of the bars would let me in until I turned eighteen six months ago."

He dissolved into tears and I felt my heart clench painfully "Hey, look it's alright love. They live on the same floor as I do in my apartment complex. Everything is going to be okay."

He hiccupped and sniffled "A-are you going to t-take me there?"

I smiled "Of course and we'll—" I groaned "Fuck!"

He flinched and I waved my hands "No, no, no. Sh-sh-sh its okay. Kid I have some good news and some bad news. Okay?"

He looked scared and I sighed running a hand through my hair

"The bad news is, Riku and your brother left for a cruise nearly four days ago. They won't be back for at least 3 more days, if not four."

His face crumpled and I cupped his chin

"Hey, the good news is that someone had to look after their little kitten, Tink, and I have the number to contact them."

He sniffled, and gave me a hopeful look,

"Really?"

I grinned, letting my hand fall away,

"Yep. It's on my fridge at home. We'll get you all cleaned up and then you can call your brother. Okay?"

He nodded "Th-thank you s-so much for helping me Mr..um.."

I snorted "Don't call me mister. My name's Axel. Axel Sinclair."

He gave me a weak smile and mumbled "'m Roxas Hikari."

I smiled "Well, Roxas, I think it's about time we get a move on don't you?"

He nodded shyly, and curled into my coat, blushing. I smiled and carefully eased back into traffic and drove home.

When I pulled into my parking space in front of the nice apartment complex, I got out and walked over to his side of the car and opened his door, offering him my hand. He recoiled suddenly, looking torn. I fowned in confusion.

"Whats wrong kid?"

He hiccupped, "H-how do I know that you aren't lying about all of this? How can you prove that you aren't s-some psychopath rapist!?"

I pinched the brdge of my nose in irritation as the rain started up again, and I fixed him with a look of impatience,

"You don't. However, unless you have somewhere else to go, I suggest that you take the help I'm trying to offer."

He cowered into the seat, gripping the coat so tight that his knuckles were white. I blew out a breath, calming myself. Stooping down to his level I said in a much gentler tone,

"Hey, I'm sorry. I know that you're scared, and you have every right to have those fears and doubts considering the night you've had. But sitting here is just making both of us colder and wetter."

He diddn't move, but his grip relaxed just a tiny bit. I gave a small smile and cupped on side of his face. My smile widened just a bit when he didn't flinch away, and I said in a serious, yet amused tone,

" I can't really deny the psychopath accusation, because I really will get lost in my writing. I can however, say that I have never raped anyone, and I have no desire to ever do something so awful. So, now can we please get out of the rain?"

I offered my hand once more as I finished my speech. He blushed and took it tentatively, pulling himself up and standing shakily.

Suddenly, his legs gave out and he started to drop to the ground crying out in pain. I caught him in time to sit him roughly back down on the passenger seat.

"What is it love?"

He shook in agony and gagged "it h-hurts! M-my whole body h-hurts!"

He tried to stand again and he couldn't which made him slightly hysterical. I put a hand on his shoulder,

"Hey easy. You've been through hell and back today. That blow to your head was pretty nasty. Your body has just about had it. That's all. You need to rest. Here, hold these."

I dropped my keys into his hand and scooped him into my arms. I noted again how light he was. I thought it might have been my adrenaline before, but the kid really weighed next to nothing which really worried me. I cradled him and kicked the door shut saying,

"If you'll just hit the lock button for me, we'll be on our way."

He did so and I immediately carried him up the steps and inside the building. We got in the elevator and I said gently,

My apartment's on the eighth floor love."

He pushed the button with a trembling finger and when the elevator stopped I walked down the hall to room thirteen. I told him which key to use and I walked in kicking the door shut behind me. A little white ball of fur shot into the room and tried to tangle in between my feet.

I stomped, making the little white kitten freeze "Tink, stop that. I don't wanna drop your uncle."

Roxas looked up at me, confused, and I rolled my eyes

"Sora insists on the fact that we treat Tink like she is his child. It just kind of sticks after a while."

He let out a wet chuckle and sniffled "That definitely sounds like Sora."

I smiled and carried him through my bedroom to the big bathroom. I sat him on the counter gently and tried to figure out how to get this done. After a few minutes I said softly,

"Alright listen, you have got to get cleaned up so that I can see what all needs to be wrapped up and tended. I'll help you get down to your boxers and set you inside the shower on the bench. When you're done and cleaned up I'll pass you a towel and a clean pair of shorts in and that way you still get to have as much privacy as possible. Sound fair?"

He swallowed hard and looked terrified. I smoothed down his wet hair once gently,

"I'm not looking to hurt you alright, but other people already have and I just want to help. okay?"

He sniffled and nodded. I smiled softly and pulled off his tattered shirt easily, wincing at the scrapes on his left side. He was extremely thin, and his torso was littered in bruises, both old and new.

"Holy shit kid…what happened to you?"

He gulped "When I said dad threw me out, I meant it. He was never a nice man, but ever since Sora left, he's been especially cruel."

I frowned and very lightly touched a yellowing bruise on his ribs and breathed out "Your _father_ did this to you?"

He looked away in shame "Actually, that one was mom. She threw a wine bottle at me and I wasn't fast enough to dodge it."

I gripped his chin "Roxas I swear, neither one of them will ever do this shit again okay. Riku and Sora won't stand for it and neither will I."

He frowned, "But you don't even know me."

I snorted and put a hand to the nasty bruise, "I know that no one deserves to be treated like this."

He didn't respond. Choosing instead to apparently count the tiles on my bathroom floor. I sighed softly and said,

"Come on love, wrap your arms around my neck and lift up so I can get your jeans off."

He obeyed, but he held onto me tighter than he needed to and didn't let go right away. I rubbed his back a little after peeling the wet denim from his pale skin, and uncovering more bruising and a long scar on his left calf.

He kept his face buried in my shoulder for a few minutes as his body thrummed in pain, and I hugged him back until the trembling eased, giving him the comfort he needed. I pulled back and brushed his bangs away from his red rimmed eyes,

"There now, let's get this over with. Shall we?"

He nodded shyly and I picked him up and set him on the bench before unhooking the flexible shower nozzle. I set it in his lap after making sure the water that came out of it was nice and warm. I set the soap and shampoo within reach and handed him a clean cloth.

I smiled "Go ahead and get started. I'm going to fetch you some clean clothes. Do you like hot chocolate?"

He nodded almost desperately before blushing and saying hoarsely,

"Sorry. But..uh yeah. Its my favorite."

I laughed and said, "Bit of a sweet tooth eh?"

He nodded and I grinned, "Always preferred tea myself"

He looked up, "Where are you from?"

I frowned "Right here in Georgia. Why do you ask?"

He blushed "W-well you have an accent and you like tea.."

I snorted "Ah, you thought I was from across the pond didn't you?"

He nodded, obviously embarrassed. I chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Don't be embarrassed. You're actually not that far off. My father is from England and still lives there. I used to spend my summers there. My mother was from Georgia, and when she died a few years back I left and went back to live with dad, but I couldn't stay away. This is my home after all. Though I'm afraid it did give me a strange accent."

He smiled, "Well I like the way you sound. It's unique."

He looked away and I decided not to tease the poor boy. I said brightly,

"Alright. One hot chocolate, coming up. Call me when you're finished."

He nodded and I left to change out of my own wet clothes. I gathered up some clean boxers, a soft T-shirt, and a pair of sweat pants. When he called for me I was amused to see his boxers sitting on the floor sopping wet. I stifled a chuckle and passed him the clean boxers and a towel through a small sliver in the door of the shower.

He made a soft sound of confusion and asked tentatively,

"A-axel?"

I raised a brow at the figure behind the frosted glass,

"Yes?"

He cleared his throat and asked, "D-do y-you have an-nything else f-for me to w-wear?"

I clicked my tongue in understanding, "Oh! Yes. I still need to disinfect your cuts and patch you up love. I have some sweats and a shirt for you for after I'm done."

He made his own small sound of understanding, and wiggled around before telling me that he was ready. I slid the door back to reveal a still slightly damp blonde, holding the wet towel around his shoulders and blushing lightly. I smiled and picked him up, being extra careful not to slip.

I sat him gently on the counter again and grabbed a fresh towel. First, I rubbed his hair dry and then gently patted down his chest and legs. After much questioning and examining, I wrapped a sprained wrist on his right and a rolled ankle on his left side.

After pressing gently on his ribs, I determined that they _weren't_ broken, thankfully. However, sadly they _were_ either bruised or cracked. I wrapped them tightly praying that it was the former.

I put plasters on the worst of his scrapes and rubbed a salve on his bruises to help them heal. As I worked I had to swallow down a burning hatred for the people who could ever do such traumatizing amounts of damage to someone who looked so innocent.

I suddenly recognized the pressure in my chest as an overwhelming urge to protect the little blonde who'd finally relaxed into my touch. I closed my eyes for a second to calm myself as I worked salve over a particularly large and painful looking bruise.

I wanted to murder the bastards responsible, but taking care of him was more important. I'd fantasize about murder later. I paused as I finished and capped the tube of salve. The boy looked at me in confusion,

"Axel? Are you okay?"

I realized I had been staring at him, and I shook my head, rubbing my face a little before looking him in the eyes, and saying softly,

"I know that this is probably the last thing you want to talk about with me, but I have to know if that bastard in the alley hurt you."

He frowned and he tried to smirk, but it looked twisted and he said in a shaky voice,

"Yeah I've probably got a crack in my sku—"

"Roxas."

I wasn't loud or curt, but just that one word was enough to make him burst into tears all over again. I pulled him into a hug and he managed to choke out that the man had only touched him. I breathed a sigh of relief, and rubbed his bandaged back while he cried out all of his fear and the feeling of having his innocence tainted.

When he was finished, I pulled back and slid the long t-shirt over his head and used the same maneuver I did to get the jeans off, to slide on the sweats. He looked at me with his big watery blue eyes,

"Can we call Sora now? P-please?"

I ruffled his hair and chuckled "Yeah, let's go kid."

I picked him up and carried him to the bed, setting him on top of the down comforter gently. He frowned and looked up,

"Wh-why are you putting me on the bed? Aren't I going to sleep on the couch?"

I scoffed "As banged up as you are? I don't think so love."

His lower lip trembled and I cupped his chin worried "Hey now, no more of that. As much as you deserve to be able to just cry it all out, you're going to make yourself sick."

He croaked "Y-you're just being s-so n-nice to me and you got in a f-fight to save me b-but you d-didn't even know w-who I was and…and…" he let out a dry sob as he sucked in a breath.

I sat down beside him on the bed and pulled him into another hug, cradling his head to my chest

"Hush now. Listen to me Roxas. I promise you that everything is alright. Don't think about things like that. Just focus on how things are now. Okay."

I stroked his hair and pulled back a bit. He sniffled and looked up pitifully and I smiled softly,

"Lets call Sora shall we?"

He nodded "P-please."

I smiled and got up to retrieve my phone from the dresser where I'd emptied my pockets when I'd changed and dialed Riku's number. Sora answered sleepily

"A-Axel?"

I sighed "Wake up kid. We got a problem."

He freaked out "What's wrong with Tink!?"

I heard a soft groan in the background and I said softly "Actually it's a bit worse than that."

Roxas whimpered "S-Sora?"

Sora screamed "Roxas!? Axel why is my brother with you!?"

Roxas let out a shallow breath and said "S-sora…Axel s-saved me when I was looking for you and Riku. Some guy outside of the bar attacked me."

Sora asked warily, "Why were you there in the first place Roxas?"

The blonde sniffled and choked out

"Mom and dad kicked me out when I told them I was gay. Dad threw me outside onto the driveway and said that he hopped whatever fagot I was sleeping with was willing to take me in, because I'm not allowed to call myself his kid anymore."

Sora asked thickly, "What about mom?"

Roxas screwed up his face, "She agreed with him. Ever since you left both of them have gotten worse."

Sora replied in a slightly bitter tone,

"Not that I'm saying you deserve their shit Rox, w=but what exactly did you think would happen. Look what they did to me? Did you think you were just that much more special?"

I pulled the stunned little blonde into my side and I said firmly,

"Sora, he said that they never told him that they kicked you out. He just thought you ran off and left him."

Sora was silent for a second, and a deeper voice sounded from the background causing Sora to burst into tears and start speaking rapidly. I rubbed Roxas's side as we listened to the muffled conversation. Riku's voice came over the phone

"Hey, uh Axel? Listen man, we'll catch the next flight okay."

I frowned "Look, I know you guys have been saving up for this for years. I'll watch Roxas till you guys get back."

I didn't get a response, and I called out softly "Sora?"

He sniffled "Y-yeah?"

I smiled softly "Don't blame yourself for this mess. You didn't know. I'm taking good care of your brother, I promise. I just wanted you to know what was going on and let Roxas hear your voice."

I stroked Roxas's hair and said softly "We'll call every day at a decent time to let you guys catch up. Okay? You guys scrimped and scraped for this cruise and you deserve to enjoy it."

Sora sniffed, "I can't ask you to do this Axel. Roxas is my brother. It's my responsibility to take care of him"

I snorted, "You aren't asking me to do anything. I'm offering to do it because I'm the one that decided to intervene tonight and that makes him _MY_ responsibility as well. Got it memorized?"

Sora let out a wet chuckle, "Thank you so much Axel. I knew you were a big softie."

Riku cleared his throat, "What about his stuff? Not just his clothes, but his social security card and birth certificate, things like that? This is obviously going to be a permanent change, and he has to have those documents for us to be able to put him on my insurance and for him to be able to get a job."

I nodded, "I already thought about that. I figured I'd go and get all his paperwork and stuff from his parents tomorrow."

Roxas's head shot up and he looked at me in shock. Riku groaned softly

"Just as a warning, those people are out of their fucking mind. I'd have a police escort if I were you."

I smirked "Trust me man, I've got this. Talk to you later guys. Everything is under control. Do you want to say goodbye Sora?"

Sora swallowed hard, "Rox, I'm so sorry all of this happened. I'll be back in a few days okay?

Roxas looked at the phone with a watery smile, "Its not your fault Sor. I'm just happy to know that you didn't just leave me there."

Sora sniffed, "I love you Rox. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Roxas chuckled, "I love you too Sora. I can't wait."

I chuckled, "Alright. time for bed. I'm exhausted Goodnight to all."

I pressed the end call button and Roxas sniffled, "Are you really going to help me get my stuff?"

I hugged him and said "Of course I am love, and your parents won't be allowed to touch you in any way."

He gave me a watery smile. I smiled softly back. "Here, wait there."

I brought him the mug of warm cocoa and a bottle of water. He reached for the cocoa, but I snorted,

"Ah ah. Water first. You're probably dehydrated as it is."

He didn't bother with arguing, but took the bottle, downing it rather quickly and then looked up pleadingly. I smiled and took the empty bottle from him, and handed him the mug.

He moaned softly and sucked down the warm, sugary drink. He hiccupped after he drained the mug and wiped his mouth with a blush.

I placed the empty mug on the bedside table and turned to see Roxas sitting awkwardly on the coverlet. I rolled my eyes and yanked the comforter and sheets down, maneuvering him effortlessly.

He gave a small, indignant huff, but I just smiled and pushed him back before pulling the blankets up. Sighing softly, I ran a hand through the boy's messy blonde hair once.

"Go to sleep love. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

He nodded, fighting to keep his eyes open, "Kay. Thank you Axel. F-for everything."

I smiled softly and stood up "Your welcome love."

I grabbed an extra blanket and pillow from the linen closet and laid down on the couch after putting my phone on charge.

I woke up to sounds of screaming and vaguely noted that it was 4:30 in the morning if my microwave was correct. I jumped up and ran to my room to see Roxas thrashing around in the bed, sobbing and screaming for whatever was happening to stop.

I sat on the bed and pinned his shoulders down. I didn't want to touch him too much in case it made everything worse. I shouted

"Roxas! Roxas it's me, Axel. Wake up!"

I shook him a bit and he shot up sucking in air and choking. He looked around wide eyed, and I saw the absolute terror in his innocent blue eyes, and I pulled him into my arms. He pressed against me gasping and crying his heart out.

I stoked his hair "Sh-sh-shhhh. I'm here Roxas. I'm right here. You're safe love."

He choked and tried to talk. I shushed him again and said in a softer tone,

"Easy. Just breathe. I've got you. No one is going to hurt you. Hush love."

I rocked just a bit like my mother would when I had nightmares as a child. He began to calm down and clutched my nightshirt tightly. I pressed my hand to the back of his neck and pulled away to look at him. I wiped the tears away and looked him in the eyes,

"There now, you're alright. I'm right here."

He hiccupped and spluttered "'m-I'm s-sor—hic—sorry."

I frowned and stroked his cheek "Oh no Roxas, You don't have to apologize. This isn't your fault."

His voice cracked and he squeaked "B-but I woke you up and I j-just keep causing you t-trouble."

I rolled my eyes "Roxas, what did I tell you earlier?"

He sniffled and let out a little shudder and I rubbed my thumbs across his cheeks to wipe away two stray tears that fell. I sighed,

"You're no trouble at all to me Roxas. None of what's happened to you is your fault. Your parents, Riku and Sora being on vacation, that bastard in the alley, you had no control over any of that. Just calm down. Everything is going to be just fine. I promise you okay."

He sniffled and nodded. I stood up and he snatched my wrist "Wait! P-please don't go!"

I stroked his hair "Hush love, I'm coming right back."

I went and grabbed him another bottle of ice cold water and a cool, damp cloth. I made him drink the water slowly. He relaxed as I dabbed his face and neck with the cloth to cool him down and wipe away any sweat and leftover tearstains.

He gave a tiny moan and shivered when the cloth touched his skin for the first time and I had to smile. I heard a mewing sound and grinned. Tink was sniffing at my feet and I chuckled,

"Looks like someone wants to make sure you're okay. You must have scared her with your fit."

He blushed and I picked up the little white fur ball, stroking her ears delicately. He murmured,

"Sorry Tink. I didn't mean to scare you."

The little kitten purred loudly in response. I chuckled a bit before reaching over and scratching behind one of her ears saying softly,

"Looks like she accepts your apology."

He looked up at me with a small smile before yawning widely. I chuckled and pushed him back for the second time that night, and rolled on his side curling around Tink's little body as she burrowed against his chest. He looked up at me and bit his lip before asking,

"W-will you stay in here with me? J-just until I fall asleep?"

I gave him a tired smile, "Of course. Just relax and go to sleep. Everything is alright."

He looked relieved and closed his eyes, cuddling Tink close. It wasn't long before he drifted off. As soon as his breathing evened out, I got up very carefully and laid back down on the couch, slipping easily back into a deep sleep, knowing that tomorrow was probably going to be a long day.

**That's the first chapter of Authors and Angels folks. This one is just going to be a simple three shot that I started to get the juices flowing for SMAS. I hit a snag and needed to work on something else.**

**I tried doing a oneshot and I feel like it kind of rushes and skips too much detail. So I feel like spreading it out to a threeshot would help me cover more ground. I should have the second installment of Authors and Angels posted within the next two or three days depending on classes, test, quizzes, ect. Hard college is hard guys.**

**So let me know your thoughts on this one. Love it? Hate it? Think I'm way OOC? Even if you don't like it, if you tell me why, it allows me to get a new perspective I may not have considered. Thank you! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Here we go again guys, twenty seven pages single spaced! (WOW) I hope you guys like it**

**++Do not own KH++**

**++ENJOY!++++++++**

I groaned softly as I woke to the sunlight shining into my eyes from the window across the room. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up, confused for a few seconds as to why I had been sleeping on the couch.

Memories from the night before flashed across my mind and I jolted up and off of the couch. I quickly peeked into my room, and was relieved to find Roxas still asleep, curled up on the very edge of the bed.

I felt my heart clench sadly at the sight of the little blonde trying to make himself as small as possible. He couldn't escape his fear even through sleep, and I knew his parents were responsible for it, for the most part anyways. Being attacked last night certainly didn't help things at all though.

I sighed softly, calming the rage that burned in my stomach. If anything, this made me even more determined to deal with his parents today. They would never be able to hurt him ever again. I'd make perfectly certain of that.

I wanted him to get as much rest as possible, so I left him be in the safety of my room, and headed to the kitchen. I decided to clean up a bit from last night and then cook a hearty breakfast. I remembered how nearly every one of his ribs had been visible last night amongst the bruises. He was far too thin for it to be healthy. I'd remedy that as well.

I picked up the house and finally tackled the bathroom, grabbing all the wet towels, spare bandages, and Roxas's shredded clothing. As I padded through the kitchen to the laundry room, something smacked against the floor. I turned to see a small little camo wallet with a Velcro strip on the floor.

After I took care of the clothes and trash, I picked up the little wallet and opened it up. Inside was Roxas's driver's license and a library card. I was about to close it when I saw something sticking out from under the library card.

I pulled at the damp little tab and out slid a picture of a five year old Sora, holding what appeared to be a three-year old version of Roxas. Roxas was mid giggle as Sora blew on his cheek. One of Roxas's hands were pressed into the brunette's cheek trying to fend him off.

It was an adorable picture. Both boys seemed to light up the world with their smiles. I shook myself and realized that Roxas would be waking soon and I wanted to have breakfast ready when he got up.

I got the necessary ingredients out of their various cabinets and began to cook, losing myself in my thoughts. I wondered if I should just get Roxas's address from him and go alone, but I shook my head figuring that Roxas was going to have to get his things while I kept his parents busy if Riku's reaction wasn't an exaggeration.

Acknowledging this, I decided to begin going over just exactly what I was going to say to those monsters who dared call themselves parents. Between my mental throw down and the bacon and eggs sizzling in the skillet, I nearly missed the tiny pitter patter of feet on my hardwood floor.

I looked up to see Roxas standing timidly in the shadow of the hallway, pressing himself against the corner of the wall and holding Tink to his chest protectively. I gave him a kind smile and pointed to the skillet,

"Good morning love. I bet you'd love some breakfast. Right?"

He nodded quickly, speaking with a tone full of want, "Y-yes please!"

I grinned, "I hope you like bacon and eggs. Mind throwing the toast in for me?"

He smiled back, relaxing a bit and nodding, crossing the room quickly after setting Tink down. He washed his hands and grabbed the bread before asking timidly,

"H-how..um how many should I do?"

I shrugged, "Two for me please, but you can have however many you'd like. You obviously need to catch up on a few meals."

The boy looked down at himself before blushing and looking away and fiddling with the plastic tie on the package of bread. I frowned,

"Oh no. I wasn't poking fun at you or anything. You really are underweight. It was far too easy for me to carry you around. It's unhealthy."

He nodded looking appeased with my explanation and I grinned, finishing up the eggs and bacon just as the four sliced of bread he inserted into the toaster popped up, nice and golden brown. I told him to sit, indicating the small table behind me, as I dished out our food.

I set the two plates of food at each of the two places. I poured two tall glasses of milk and retrieved the butter and jam. I ate my food slowly, watching with barely hidden amusement as Roxas tucked into his meal ravenously.

I chuckled, "I take it you like the food?"

He let out a tiny breath of laughter and blurted, "As hungry as I am, it could be dirt and—"

He cut himself off before choking and trying to stutter out an apology. He looked aghast that he'd said something so forward. I waved a hand in front of his face,

"Hey, hey, hey! Roxas! Love, listen to me!"

He paused, his face flushed. I smiled in relief, "There now. Calm down. It's okay to say things like that. Its part of your personality. Don't be ashamed. Besides, good witty banter is hard to come by these days."

He shook his head, "I shouldn't have been so careless. I don't want to offend you. Especially not with everything you've done for me…"

I chuckled, "I told you love, I'm not offended. Stop worrying about stepping on my toes, and stay focused on turning your life around in the direction you want it to go. Today's going to be the first big step."

He gave me a grateful smile that faded quickly into a serious expression, He asked qietly,

"Today is going to be rough. Isn't it?"

I gave him a small smile and put a hand on his shoulder,

"I can't tell you if it is or not Roxas, but I can promise you that I will do everything I possibly can to get this over with as quickly as possible."

He looked at me with eyes full of gratitude and I pulled away slowly,

"Finish your breakfast and then we'll go give your parents a nice wake up call."

He nodded and did just that while I finished my own food and went to change clothes. When I returned, I saw that Roxas had washed and dried the dishes and wiped the counter down. He was sitting at the table with his glass of milk.

He was once again holding his brother's kitten, this time in the crook of his left arm. He dipped his finger in the milk and held it out for the little white fuzzball to lap up. He repeated this a few times with the last of his milk, a soft smile on his face. I chuckled and he looked up before blushing and looking away again.

I grinned and held out a large, thick sweater, "Come on love. Lets go. You'll have to wear this until we get some more clothes, be it from your house, or if we have to go buy some today."

Roxas nodded, putting Tink down and stroking her ear before coming to stand beside me. I held out his shoes and a pair of my socks that he quickly slipped on and stood, ready to go.

As it turns out it took over an hour to get to Roxas's house. I was shocked at the distance, because I realized Roxas really would have been out on the street if I hadn't heard his screams. Just the thought of what could have happened made me sick to my stomach.

After following Roxas's directions, I pulled up into the driveway of a small, simple white house, with slightly overgrown grass and unruly shrubbery. Judging by the state of the lawn and the condition of the beat up powder blue pickup truck beside my car, these people weren't concerned with maintaining their things. I turned to see that Roxas had begun to shake as he looked at the shabby house. His blue eyes were full of fear.

I reached over to touch his arm and he flinched hard with a whimper. His breathing hitched and he looked at me, on the verge of tears,

"I-I'm s-s—"

I covered his mouth, "Don't apologize Roxas. It's not your fault you're so scared. It's theirs. But I promise, I'm right here, and they can't hurt you sweetling."

He sniffed and I released him. I stroked his hair once before climbing out of the car. I shut my door and went over to his side to help him out. We walked up to the door and I pounded on it harshly. After waiting a few minutes, I did it again. This time I got a response.

I heard a woman shriek out orders for her husband to open the door. A few thuds later and a scraggly blonde man with dark eyes opened the door with a roar,

"What the fuck do you—"

He caught sight of Roxas who was shaking again, "What 're you doin here you disgusting little fag!?"

I pushed Roxas behind me and snarled, "I brought him here to collect his things."

The man's face screwed up in fury, "That queer thinks he can just waltz in here and take the shit I paid for with my money? Piss off, both of ya before I call the cops!"

He went to slam the door, but I caught it easily with one hand. I had wanted to do this nicely, but I could absolutely play this his way. I straightened to my full height and sneered,

"I could care less about his clothes or any of the shit you bought. I just want his paperwork so that he can live a normal life far away from you and anyone else who wants to hurt him. Oh, and I fucking dare you to call the police you bastard. I'd love to show them the bruises that I'm positive match your meaty mits, that are all over Roxas's body."

The man's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Are you _threatening_ me?"

I shook my head, "Not at all. I am _promising_ you that if you don't get out of my way and get me the things I need, I will make your little shell of a life more miserable than you could ever imagine."

The man peered over my shoulder at Roxas and looked back at me before letting his lips curl back into a sneer,

"Oh, I get it now. He's your fucktoy!"

"Jeff!?" A woman screeched from behind him, "Who the hell are you talking to?"

She appeared beside the man. She had brown hair and her blue eyes were unmistakable. This was Sora and Roxas's mother. Her face was gaunt and her skin was sallow as one would expect from someone with a history of alcohol and drug abuse.

The man, 'Jeff' it seemed, turned and smirked,

"Look Luce, the fag went running to his master like a good little bitch."

I hissed in fury, "Open your mouth again you homophobic bastard and you'll regret it. All I want is his paperwork. If you're too stupid to know what it is, then have _her," _I pointed to his wife, " collect it. I don't give a fuck how you do it, but it gets done now. I'm not going to waste any more time breathing the same air as you. I'll let the chief of police, who happens to be a friend of mine, handle it."

The woman disappeared, but Jeff was fuming. He looked at Roxas and snarled,

"So this is really how its going to be huh? You're going to let this fucking leprechaun fight your battles and then pay him off with your body huh? Tell me Roxas is it worth it to be his bitch? To be his toy?"

I tensed waiting for Roxas to respond in some way. I heard him let out a choking sound and I wanted to turn and comfort him, but Jeff apparently heard it to because he cackled,

"Do you get it now you little queer, you'll only ever be a bitch! No man is ever going to love a fag like yo—"

I drew back my fist as far as I could and then rammed it straight into the bastard's nose, hearing a satisfying 'crack', and feeling his nose break against my knuckles.

The blow sent the blonde man reeling backwards, blood pouring from his nose. He cried out in pain and took a blind swing, clipping my shoulder. I hissed and stepped forward over the threshold to ram my fist into his gut.

He doubled over in pain, gagging on the blood that dripped into his mouth. He knelt on one knee, holding his stomach and I snarled,

"How dare you say those things to your son!"

He spat, "I don't have a son! I had two, but that was before your kind poisoned them!"

I took a deep breath and walked over to him, leaning down, "You poisoned your sons. You filled them with fear, you only showed them pain and hate. They had every right to look for someone who would love them, cherish them, and if need be, to protect them. Because you sure as fuck never did. You don't deserve to be called a father."

I straightened up in time to see the woman coming from another room with a pile of papers in her hands. She scowled when she saw her husband and snarled at me,

"here! Take his shit. We don't want anything to fucking do with him or his brother."

I snatched the papers out of her grip and glared at her. Not finding it worth it to speak to her, I stepped back outside to where Roxas was standing. His expression was blank and his eyes were distant. I touched his shoulder gently making him jump.

I sighed, "Come on. Let's go. I've got the paperwork."

He looked inside to where his parents were both standing in the hallway with disgust on their faces, before nodding and heading to the car.

I sighed as I pulled up to my apartment complex once again. Roxas had been silent the whole ride, and I had left him alone to sort his thoughts, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the poor blonde. I said quietly,

"Come on love, let's put these papers somewhere safe and have a quick rest. Then I'll take you to the nice little strip mall down the road and we'll get you some brand new clothes and anything else you like."

He swallowed thickly, but just gave a small nod, opening his door and pulling himself out of the car. I followed suit. His silence was driving me insane. I knew something was wrong but I didn't want to push him to tell me what it was.

I unlocked the door and ushered Roxas into the apartment gently. He completely ignored Tink as she ran up and pawed at his shoe. I watched sadly as he went over to my makeshift bed on the couch and laid down, hugging my pillow to his chest and turning on his side, away from me.

I decided to put the papers in my safe that I kept in my office. I bought the apartment after I got my first book published. It had been a two bedroom, one and a half bath, but I'd turned the other bedroom into an office.

There were only three things that took up the space in the large room. One was a large bookcase against the wall on the far left of the room that held a copy of each of my books along with my own personal collection.

The next was a small desk strewn with notebooks, papers, and of course, my laptop, and the desk was accompanied by a rather comfortable, rolly chair. Last but not least was the tall safe bolted into the floor and the wall in the far right corner of the room on the other side of the desk.

I walked over and opened it, long enough to put the papers in and get out a small amount of cash for today. I had my card for any hefty buys but if anything in the kiosks caught the little blondes eye, I wanted to be sure to have the option to buy it for him.

I chuckled to myself. I'd made more money than I ever imagined, just by writing stories to entertain children. I was a very simplistic person though so I never really splurged on anything. To be honest I was eager for the chance to spoil Roxas a little. God knows he deserved it, especially after today.

I huffed and shut the safe again, spinning the dial. I shoved the bills into my wallet, but I knew we weren't leaving the house until I figured out exactly why Roxas was upset.

I walked back into the living room to see that Roxas hadn't moved from his position, but he began to shake violently when I sat down on the edge of the couch beside his back. I put a hand to his shoulder, but before I could speak, a terrified sob tore out of his throat.

I frowned, "Roxas?"

He was silent, and his body tensed, as if waiting for a blow. After a few seconds he keened and squeaked in a broken voice,

"P-please n-not yet! I-I s-still h-hurt from l-last night!"

I felt my eyebrows shoot up and I sputtered,

"What? Roxas look at me."

He cried out, "I-I'm s-sorry! P-please!"

I stood up an rolled him onto his back, and he sobbed in fear. I pulled the pillow out of his vice like grip and threw it aside. The blonde's face was covered in tears and he choked on his sobs.

I hooked my hands under his arms and pulled him up as I sat down. I pulled him to my chest and he struggled against me in a panicky fashion. I grabbed his wrists and held them tightly with one hand and asked, slightly breathless,

"Please tell me exactly what you think I'm going to do to you love! Why are you acting like this?"

His blue eyes full of fear and…betrayal looked up at me, adding to my confusion. A slight flash of desperation crossed his delicate features and he looked away and gasped out,

"L-Look! I kn-know I have to p-pay you b-back okay. P-please j-just give me t-time to heal f-first. P-please!"

I was so confused, but I said slowly,

"So…You're this terrified because you think I'm going to make you get a job or something today to pay me back for the clothes? That's dumb, so I'm not following you on this…You're going to have to explain."

He looked at me with a look that was the perfect expression for absolute confusion. He'd even sucked in a breath and stopped breathing as he stared at the puzzled look on my face.

Slowly, his body lost tension and sagged as he blurted in confusion,

"You aren't going to f-fuck me?"

I released him instantly, standing up as if the couch had been set aflame, feeling sick to my stomach. I gagged a bit before leaving to go to my room, unable to look at the terrified blonde. I sat on my bed and just held my head in my hands, balancing my elbows on my knees.

Tink hopped up on my bed and sat beside me, butting her head against my thigh. I felt my face soften at the little kitten's attempt to cheer me up, but it hardened again when I heard Roxas say meekly from the doorway,

"A-axel, I'm s-sorry! I-I thought…"

I closed my eyes as I pinched the bridge of my nose and said quietly,

"Roxas, Please. I can't look at you right now."

He sniffled and whispered, "I'm so sorry…"

I sighed and looked at him, torn between being furious and insulted, or understanding and forgiving. I asked,

"What gave you the idea that I would ever do something like that to anyone? Much less the kid I saved from a fucking rapist!"

Roxas cowered in the hallway, hugging himself desperately. I cringed, knowing that I shouldn't have raised my voice. He choked out,

"Wh-when d-dad said those things, you d-didn't deny them a-and…."

I rolled my eyes and blew out a breath,

"Oh for fuck's sake Roxas…Come here."

I opened one arm and he shuffled closer timidly. I was patient until he was within reach. I wrapped both arms around the thin teen and pulled him to me firmly, making Tink shoot off of the bed and under it. I rubbed his back gently as his arms shot around me in a crushing hold and he cried quietly into my chest.

I calmed immediately, feeling the negative energy be washed away as the urge to comfort the badly shaken blonde, completely overwhelmed me. I stroked his hair and said quietly,

"The only reason I didn't say anything is because I didn't know I needed to. I thought you already knew that I would never call you my bitch or force you into sex. I meant everything I said to your father before we left. You have every right to look for someone to love and cherish you, to protect you…Why would I say that if I was just going to make you my sex slave?"

He choked and spoke in a muffled voice, "I dunno…"

I stroked his hair some more,

"I wasn't trying to make you answer that, I was just bringing it to your attention. I understand your fear though Roxas I really do. Because I know that you're scared. You don't know what's going to happen and its human nature to assume the worst in people. After last night, you could be justified in being scared that Sora was going to rape you. Those kinds of things take time to heal from, physically and emotionally, and they leave scars."

He sniffled and looked up at me, "But I don't want to be afraid forever…"

I chuckled, "You don't have to be afraid forever. You have people who love you and are willing to protect you."

He sniffled, giving me a very tiny, hopeful smile that made my heart swell. I smiled back softly and said,

"There now, have you gotten it all out of your system?"

He sniffled and blushed, lowering his gaze and nodding shyly. I grinned,

"Good. Now let me make us a light lunch. Do you still want to go to the mall or are you really hurting that badly?"

He swallowed hard with an embarrassed expression and said,

"I really really want to go and get some clothes that fit me. I only said it hurt so much because I h-hoped you'd..um…"

I pressed two fingers over his lips and I said gently,

"It's okay. I understand Roxas. Look, we're just going to move on okay? Don't stress yourself over this understand?"

He nodded and I ruffled his hair making him release me and stand so that I could do the same. At this time Tink reappeared from under the bed and followed us into the kitchen.

We spent a surprisingly short amount of time actually shopping for clothes and necessities. It seemed like Roxas had a sale radar. The clearance shelves never even saw him coming. I was amazed at his knack for this. I'd always loathed shopping with a stubborn and fiery passion.

In the end Roxas brought me a pile of clothes that included 14 different shirts, seven pairs of jeans, two sets of sweatpants (one black and red and the other was black and green) with matching hoodies, three sets of pajamas, and two packs each of boxers, socks, and tank tops. And on top of his neat little pile sat a pair of black and white checkered converses.

I looked at his happy face and raised an eyebrow,

"You're sure this is all you want? Knowing that money isn't an issue?"

He bit his lip and nodded. I narrowed my eyes,

"You're lying Roxy, I can tell."

He gave me a funny look and I rolled my eyes,

"Don't look at me like that, you're very obvious. Your eyes give it all away."

He shook his head and said,

"Oh, no it wasn't that. You just…you called me Roxy. Sora's the only person who ever called me that and it was when we were really young."

I grinned, "Well I think it's adorable, does it bother you if I call you that Roxy?"

He smiled and shook his head. I smiled,

"Good, now back to why you were lying to me. What is it that you want?"

He blushed, "I…uh…I wanted a jacket…l-like the one you have that you c-covered me up with."

I wasn't expecting that, but I shrugged,

"You know Roxy, I really don't remember where I got that from, but I really don't ever wear it. Yesterday was my birthday and my friends decided to try to drag me out into society so I threw it on. If you'd like you can just have that one."

He looked appalled, "Yesterday was your birthday!?"

I nodded "Yep, twenty three years ago I was born into this world of profound beauty and unadulterated corruption. Nice eh?"

He looked near tears, "You had to spend your birthday dealing with me!?"

I frowned, "Hey now, don't say it like that love. It's not like you picked the day for your world to fall apart and made sure it happened in my near vicinity. I'm glad it did because I very rarely interact with society unless I have to. Any other night and I wouldn't have been able to hear you."

He swallowed hard and nodded. I rolled my eyes, "Here, how about you make it up to me by finding me a really nice new outfit to wear when I have my meeting with my publisher in a few weeks?"

He nodded eagerly and disappeared. I groaned. I despised shopping, much less the actual torture of playing dress up. My worn jeans and t-shirts were just fine with me.

Roxas came bounding back over to me looking extremely pleased with himself and presented me a pair of dark jeans and a venom green graphic tee with a black flame design. Just at first glance I loved the shirt but I highly doubted the pants would fit.

I was always too tall or my hips made the fit uncomfortable. However, I wanted to show Roxas that his effort was appreciated, so I stopped a clerk and got a dressing room. Sighing softly, I stripped off my well-loved and faded jeans and stepped into the dark ones that Roxas brought me.

To my absolute amazement, they actually fit! I stepped out to show Roxas and praise him on his good choice. His face lit up with the most gorgeous smile I'd ever seen, blue eyes glowing with happiness.

I was jolted with the memory of the picture I'd discovered earlier and I felt a jolt of victory at the revival of such innocent happiness in the blonde.

I asked him if there were any more like this and he nodded rapidly and ran off. I changed back and exited to be presented with an excited blonde with an armload of that particular size and cut in different styles.

I picked three of my favorite plus the original and placed those and the green shirt on the counter. The total was only around $600 which was amazing for how much clothing we bought taking into account that it was all name brand.

I swiped my card and led Roxas out of the store. I walked across the parking lot and popped my trunk so that we could stow away these purchases and keep going, but Roxas deposited his bags and walked to the passenger side looking at me expectantly.

I tilted my head,

"What are you doing?"

He looked surprised and asked slowly,

"Aren't we leaving?"

I shook my head, "I wasn't planning on it. There are other things you need."

He looked confused, "like what?"

I was shocked, "Well honestly you need a lot of things. A cell phone for starters, and probably a laptop too."

He gapped at me before protesting,

"Axel, I can't ask you to buy such expensive things for me! I really don't need things like that."

I sighed, understanding that he still felt like a burden. I held up a hand,

"Here, we'll compromise. I'll get you the phone, but I'll hold off on the laptop. However, you must have some sort of hobby or something. I'll get you stuff for that instead of a laptop."

He looked uncertain, but I smiled, "I'll throw in hot chocolate if you hurry and decide."

He pouted, "Axel, this really isn't necessary."

I smirked, "Hot chocolate going once."

He whined,throwing his arms down in frustration. I narrowed my eyes,

"Going twice…"

"Axel I—"

"G—"

"FINE!"

Roxas pouted at me the whole time I spoke with the sales clerk about the in's and out's of the contract and data plan, and the different models. I picked a relatively new one with a touchscreen and bought a case for it as well that had little black and white stars on it.

Despite his pouting Roxas couldn't keep the curiosity and excitement off of his face when I had the lady activate it and hand it to him. I took it and he made a small sound of protest, but I swiftly programmed my number into the device as well as Riku's. Sora didn't have one just yet. They were waiting for Riku to get an upgrade and add Sora to his plan.

I handed it back to him and smiled,

"Now I can be right there if you ever need me to rescue you again love."

He blushed, but smiled,

"Thanks Axel."

I grinned, "Not a problem Roxy. Now, tell me, what is it that you like to do in your spare time?"

He thought for a second and said quietly, "I really like to read, but I love to draw."

I grinned, "As in sketching? With..um the weird pencils…Charcoal pencils right?"

He nodded eagerly, "Yeah.I had a teacher named Namine at my school and she taught me how to paint and use markers, but I do best with pencils and sketching."

I nodded, "Well lets find an art supply store and get you some pencils and a few sketchpads then shall we?"

He chuckled, nodding.

I waited for him up front like I had in the clothing store. Every once in a while I caught a glimpse of golden blonde hair, and smiled to myself, knowing that Roxas was on cloud nine.

I finally went to go find him and I found him staring longingly at a case full to bursting with charcoal pencils of every shape, size, and shade. I looked at the sticker thinking it was going to be something outrageous, but they were on sale for $50.

I smiled wryly, Roxas hadn't noticed me yet, but I walked up behind him and said softly,

"That looks perfect. You'd have enough pencils to last you forever, and they're on sale!"

He jumped and blushed, "It's okay Axel. They're just an expensive brand of pencils. I can get a bunch more of the cheap ones."

I waved him off, "No I want you to have good supplies for your masterpieces. I'll grab this and you grab your sketchpads and stuff. Then we can go and get some of that hot chocolate."

He gave me a soft, knowing smile and I smiled back fondly. He gathered up his items and I grabbed the case, following the blonde to the checkout counter.

Roxas was still nursing his hot chocolate when we got back to my apartment and I chuckled,

"Isn't that cold yet?"

He shook his head vigorously and continued to drink it. We had already carried all of the bags in and were in the process of removing any and all tags before throwing the clothes into the washing machine.

I rolled my eyes and asked him what he wanted for supper. As expected, he was up for whatever I wanted as long as it wasn't seafood. I grinned,

"Roxy, you can always be sure of one thing. If Riku and Sora are ever torturing you with that sushi habit of theirs, I will always take you in and feed you real food."

He smiled, "Thanks Axel. I really hate fish. But speaking of Sora, is it okay if I call him?"

I let out a bark of laughter, "You can call him whenever you like. Your phone has an unlimited plan. Go for it."

He took out his phone and ran into the bedroom. I could hear him chattering away with Sora in the other room as I started making spaghetti. After a while Roxas's conversation slowed down and finally came to an end. I thought he'd be happy, but he came out looking upset.

I asked him what was wrong and he sighed,

"I just…Riku asked how I didn't know why my parent's kicked Sora out and I felt so stupid. I think he thought that they just went around ranting about the sin of homosexuality, but in reality, they just acted as if Sora never existed. I always thought he'd just left because of all the yelling and fighting."

I nodded, "I guess all that matters is that what's done is done. We can't change the past, so we look towards the future. Don't worry about what you didn't see then. Worry about what you can see now. Do you understand?"

He smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I really do, and it helps you know?"

I grinned, "Good. Now lets eat. I made spaghetti."

Roxas wolfed down his food and then asked if he could take a shower. I helped him unbind his ribs, ankle, and wrist and told him to have at it. Afterwards he let me bind him back up and then changed into one of the pajama sets that was fresh from the dryer.

I tucked him into bed again and bid him goodnight before going to take my own showed and crawl onto my little makeshift bed. I was happy to note that Roxas didn't have any nightmares that night.

TIME

SKIP

Two days later at nearly midnight there was a pounding on my door. I groaned and pulled the pillow over my head. Sora's voice bellowed from the other side,

"Axel! Open the door! I wanna see Roxas!"

At this, I heard a thud and Roxas ran out of the hall and into the living room, looking at the door desperately and giving me a pleading look.

I growled, snatching Roxas down into my cocoon of blankets and hollered back,

"Do it in the morning. We're sleeping."

It took three seconds but both boys whined my name loudly at the same time. I looked down at Roxas who was giving me the biggest puppy eyes I'd ever seen. Damn he was even better than Sora! I groaned and I heard Riku laugh on the other side of the door,

"The eyes suck don't they?"

I got up with Roxas trailing behind me and opened the door. I ignored the brown blur that tackled Roxas to the ground in favor of commiserating with the tall, silver haired man standing there with a slight smirk on his face. I grumbled out,

"Eyes like that should be illegal."

He nodded, "I couldn't agree more."

Sora piped up, "But you always say my eyes are beautiful."

I turned to see Roxas squirming in Sora's grip as the older sibling crushed the blonde to his chest. I chuckled,

"Sora, your eyes are beautiful, and so are Roxy's but they give you an unfair advantage over others. Now let go of Roxas. You're choking him."

Sora yipped and dropped his brother who gulped in air and shot me a look of gratitude. I smiled back and waved Riku in, closing the door behind him.

It was the first time I'd had any prolonged interaction with the silverette, but it didn't feel like the first time I'd met him. I didn't realize I'd been speaking out loud until he turned to me and replied,

"That's the magic of Sora. He loves to talk about the people he cares for so when you meet one of those people it's like you've known them as long as he has."

I chuckled, "That actually makes sense, because he chatters on about you incessantly."

Riku rolled his eyes, "Same goes for you and the amazing adventures of the Keybladers in the Kingdom of Hearts series.

Roxas piped up from his place in Sora's arms,

"Sor, Can we move to the couch please? I'm still kinda sore and the floor is becoming painful."

Sora nodded, "We have lots to talk about Rox. How about you come back to our apartment with us?"

Roxas looked at me hesitantly and I grinned,

"I'm not going anywhere Roxy. You can come back and gather all of your things in the morning."

He smiled happily and Sora grinned happily,

"Wheres Tink?"

The little white kitten padded out of my laundry room as if she had been waiting to beremembered, and walked straight over to Roxas, ignoring Sora completely. We all chuckled at the look of betrayal on Sora's face.

Roxas giggled and said, "Don't worry Sora. Every kid has a favorite aunt or uncle. She still loves you."

As if to prove the little blonde right, Tink turned and pawed Sora's knee. He grinned and scooped her into his arms, jumping up and heading for the door. Roxas followed Sora out of the apartment and down the hall. Riku sighed,

"Mind if I sit a moment. I kinda wanna let Sora get everything out of his system before I go in there."

I raised a brow, "No problem, but should I be worried for Roxy's safety?"

Riku sat down on the couch and let out a small breathy laugh,

"No. Not at all. You see, Sora wanted to get away from that place for years, but he always wanted to take Roxas with him. Sora loved, and still loves his brother more than anything, but thinking that Roxas hated him nearly killed him, and I guess I kinda hated Roxas for a while."

He shook his head, "But I know now that I was wrong. I feel bad for being so rude to him when he called Sora from that new phone you got him, but I just couldn't help it when I remembered how dead Sora's eyes were for the first few months."

I nodded and sat beside him, "I'm sure he understands Riku, but if you really feel that guilty about it, tell Roxas what you told me. He'll listen. He's a good kid, and I know that he still loves Sora just as much as Sora loves him."

Riku chuckled, "For an antisocial person, you seem to handle people well."

I shrugged, "I'm not really that antisocial, I just hate the human race as a whole. Individuals aren't really so bad, but as a whole, we are corrupt and greedy race and it makes me sick."

Riku smirked, "Now that, I can understand and agree with."

We sat in a comfortable silence until he decided to go back to his own apartment. I told bid him a goodnight and locked my door. I threw the blankets from the couch that I'd been sleeping on for almost four day, into the washing machine and went back to my bedroom to crawl into my nice comfy bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Over the next few days Riku and Sora had a lot of errands to run which left me to watch over Roxas. I finished up the final draft for my newest book in the series, and had begun to look into Roxas's education.

He had graduated as one of the top students in his class just a few months ago. I was impressed as looked at his transcript that I had the school fax over. Roxas was a smart kid. He did particularly well in literature and I considered this for a bit.

Roxas wanted to go to college badly, and he'd been avidly searching in the paper and on my computer for a job that would allow him to save up a nice amount of money. I came up with a proposal.

It had been almost two weeks since the night I'd taken the blonde in, and I was already very attached to him. I wanted to do everything in my power to make this time in his life perfect to make up for all of the shit he's had to go through. Sora had Riku to turn to, but Roxas hadn't had anyone.

The knock on the sliding door of my balcony announced said blonde's arrival. He came into my office and, after dropping down into the other very comfy chair (That I swear I already had in my closet, just still in the box..not) huffed,

"They had more errands to run today."

I smiled at him from my place at my desk,

"Good. I needed to talk to you anyways Roxy. I have a proposal."

He looked at me curiously and I leaned forward with my hands folded together,

"Correct me if I'm wrong love, but you need a job and you really want to go to college. Yes?"

He nodded, looking confused, "Um, yes…"

I continued, "And you want to have a double major in English and Art. Correct?"

He nodded again. I grinned, "Awesome. So, my proposal is that you work at the bookstore just off campus of Twilight University while you attend the necessary classes."

He frowned, "But I have to work and save up money first. Besides, how do you know they'll hire me, or that I'll get into the university?"

I grinned, "Well, the bookstore will hire you because you got a raving recommendation from The New York Time's bestselling author of the year."

He frowned, "Did you throw your weight around at the college too? It isn't fair to do that when other students work reall—"

I held up an envelope and he stopped breathing. I stood up and handed him the envelope that I'd already opened. I chuckled,

"I know that Roxas. The guy that owns the bookstore, Zexion, is one of my best friends. He really needs help but he's picky about employees. However, this…"

I tapped the envelope, "Is something you earned. I sent in the application with only your transcript, one of your drawings, and the required information form three days ago. I got this back today. This is all you, love."

The blonde's hands began to shake as he opened the letter and read the acceptance letter offering a full, four-year scholarship to Twilight University based on academic merit.

He swallowed thickly and looked up at me with a look of absolute joy before launching himself at me and wrapping his thin arms around me in a crushing grip. I chuckled and hugged him back,

"So, I take it my proposal has gained your favor?"

He nodded vigorously, too choked up to speak. I snorted,

"You know Roxy, if you're going to cry every time I do you a favor, th—"

He looked up and frowned,

"Axel it's not like you're giving me a ride to my friend's house. All the things that you've done for me are things that have given me some control over my life. And I can't ever repay you properly. And it's not the favors themselves that make me cry. It's the fact that you, a total stranger, are more willing to take protect me and provide for me more than my own parents ever were. Why me?"

I fought down a blush as the combination of his words and the intensity of his eyes as he stared into mine. I stroked his hair once and smiled fondly at him,

"Well love, since Sora and your father both agree that I'm some sort of leprechaun, despite my towering height over both of them, we can choose to say that you got the luck of the draw and just leave it at that, because I really don't have any sensible reason as to why I want to help you. I just do."

He chuckled a bit and hugged me again, pressing his face into my chest. I ruffled his hair,

"Come on Blondie, let's go get some lunch."

Roxas was so excited when he told Sora and Riku about his letter and the job opening as we were all in my apartment eating lasagna before Riku had to go to work. Sora and Riku both congratulated him and told him they were so happy for him.

But I didn't miss the look they shared when Roxas turned to his food. They looked troubled, but they didn't say anything and I didn't mention it. I wanted Roxas to enjoy his moment. Whatever it was would come out eventually.

How right I was.

Two days later, I took Roxas to the bookstore and Zexion took to him immediately. He asked Roxas to stay for a while so he could show him the in's and out's of the store. I told Roxas I'd be back at six to pick him up. I went back to my apartment, hoping to catch a nap before I went back to the bookstore.

Fate was against me completely on that idea, because when I got home I was greeted with the sight of Sora sitting at the table on the balcony we shared, sobbing his little heart out.

I felt a painful clench in my heart because while I definitely doted on Roxas, I had an undeniable soft spot for the little brunette too, and in all fairness he was here first.

I opened the sliding door, frowning at the chilly wind and Sora's thin shirt and pajama pants. I called his name and he jumped hard, turning to face me. His eyes were red and puffy and his face was pinched and pale from the cold. He was shivering badly.

I grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the chair and into my house. He stumbled with a cry, but I caught him and set him on the couch before finding a blanket to wrap him in. I held the brunette to me and scolded him,

"Jesus Christ Sora, are you trying to catch pneumonia!?"

He whimpered and I stroked his spiky hair, noting briefly that it was thicker, but just as soft as Roxas's. He sniffled,

"'m s-sorry A-Ax."

I rubbed his back through the blanket comfortingly,

"It's okay love, just tell me what's got you so upset. I can't help you if I don't know why you're upset."

He choked out,

"Riku and I don't have enough room for Roxas in our apartment. We only have one bedroom, so we've been t-taking turns on the couch. We've been looking for a new apartment but they are either too far from the bar and the school, or they're too expensive.

"Riku's been taking extra shifts to try to save up but it's been stressing him out. None of the apartments we can even consider allow pets so I'd have to give Tink away…b-but Riku has to work, and R-Roxas deserves to go to college. I..I j-just don't know what to do! Riku yelled at me when I told him I wanted to get a job…I j-just don't know what to do.."

I smiled softly and tilted his chin up gently, "Oh Sora, Shhh. Everything is going to be okay. You should have told me sooner."

He sniffled, "but there's nothing you can..hic..do about any of this."

I wiped away his tears with the edge of the blanket and said gently,

"Are you crazy? I have plenty of room. You guys don't have to leave, Riku can go back to working normal hours, and Tink can stay right where she is. Roxas can just stay in the spare room."

Sora's eyes went wide, "B-but…"

I snorted, "No buts." He keened, and I gave him a warning look, "Stop it Sora."

He sniffled and looked up at me before lifting his arms out of his blanket cocoon and wrapping them tightly around my neck. He chuckled wetly,

"Okay so maybe you aren't a leprechaun, how about a genie?"

I chuckled and hugged him back, " Eh I'm not blue enough, but how about we settle and go for fairy god-father."

He burst into giggles and I smirked to myself at this small victory, happy to hear him laugh again. Unfortunately when something good happens something bad tends to follow. That something bad presented itself in the for of a very pissed looking Riku storming into my livingroom.

"What the FUCK is THIS!?"

Sora jumped harshly and his head shot up from my shoulder and he tried to speak,

"Ri—"

I turned to the open door to see Riku looking like he just got out of the shower in his clothes for work. He snarled,

"So this is what you do when we start having a money issue? You go fuck the rich author next door!? Is that it!?"

Sora gasped, "WHAT!? Riku I—"

Riku rammed his fist against my wall, silencing Sora with a terrified screech and making him hold me tighter. The silverette laughed,

"All this time, have you been fucking him while I sleep right next door? While I'm exhausted from working to fucking provide for you?"

I snapped, "You ignorant fuck! How could you accu—"

"How could I not accuse him when hes sitting in your fucking lap Axel!?"

I snarled, "Mabey if you'd be his fucking boyfriend and talk to him instead of flinging accusations around you'd fucking know!"

Riku huffed and had a small twitch in his eye and crossed his arms,

"Okay then Sora, explain to me how you were not just sitting here getting ready to fuck the bastard your sitting with for the umpteenth time."

Sora shot up onto his feet and took an angry step towards his boyfriend,

"Axel would never do that! He wants to help us and The reason I was in here is—"

Riku cut him off with a disgusted look,

"He wants to help us. The man living in this dingy apartment building with more money than god wants to just pave our way huh? I'm sorry I'm not rich Sora, but I fucking do the best I can! I don't need his fucking help!"

Sora took another step foreward and cried out pleadingly,

"Riku, please just calm down. Money isn't important to me! You know that it never has been! I fucking love you jus—"

Riku stepped forward and screamed,

"How dare you fucking say that!"

His hand was raised as if to hit Sora and I moved before either of them had time to react. I grabbed Riku's wrist and squeazed it painfully. He swung at me with his other hand, but I let the blow land against my check, bracing for it, and turning to the side to get rid of some of the momentum.

I twisted Riku's wrist and he cried out in pain. I grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked him close, snarling in his ear,

"Did it make you feel better Riku? Do you feel like a _**man**_ now?"

He struggled with me, and growled, crying out when I yanked his head back by his hair and turned us to face Sora who'd crumpled to the floor and was trembling violently, completely terrified. I yanked even harder and spat,

"Think _**real**_ hard you motherfucker because that's your fucking fault. What kind of man raises his hand to someone you _**know**_ won't hit back!?"

I shoved him away from me in disgust , seeing the look of horror on his face. He opened his mouth and tried to call Sora's name, but Sora dissolved into whimpers, curling up on the floor. I picked Sora up gently, ignoring the high pitched sob.

I glared at Riku and shook my head,

"Get the fuck out of my house. I'll take care of him until you can get your shit together and apologize. Personally I hope he decides he's better off without someone who doesn't love him enough to give him the trust he deserves. But that's up to him. Leave. Now."

Riku left, looking absolutely appalled. I slammed the door shut and locked it after setting Sora in my bed gently. I sat on the bed and let him cry into my lap until he got it out of his system. I stroked his hair gently for a long time and Finally, Sora squeaked out,

"I c-can't believe he was going to h-hit me."

I pulled him into my arms and he choked out,

"I'm s-so so sorry Axel. My world seems to keep crashing and you seem to always have to pick up the pieces."

I smiled very gently, "Hey that's what friends are for right? To pick you up and dust you off?"

He sniffled and looked up at me sadly his eyes widened and a horrified look came over his face,

"Axel! Your cheek!"

I frowned and touched the tender spot and realized it was probably a nasty bruise. I stroked his cheek with my thumb,

"Hey, better me than you any day love."

Sora looked aghast, "N-no Axel! It isn't right! You didn't even do anything wrong!"

I covered his mouth. "Hush-sh-sh. It's alright. I'll get my due at some point. Trust me."

He hugged my chest, "Please no more fighting. I HATE fighting."

I sighed, "I know love, don't worry. No one is going to fight anymore."

He sniffled, "Axel?"

I tilted my head, "Yes Sora?"

He looked up pleadingly, "I'm scared to go home."

I snorted, "I wasn't going to let you go back over there anyways. Riku owes you one hell of an apology, and then_ after _that, you can _think_ about it. Until then, you and Roxas can sleep in here together while I order another bed."

He gave me a pout, but your bed is HUGE. We can all fit on it."

I shook my head, "No Sora. It wouldn't be appropriate."

He scowled, "I'll sleep in the floor then. Come on Axel. I don't want to kick you out of your bed."

I sighed, "Look, I have to go and pick Roxas up from the bookstore. We'll discuss it when I get back deal?"

He narrowed his eyes at me, and crossed his arms, "Fine."

I smiled and pushed him back on the bed. "Alright. Now take a nap while I'm gone, and I'll pick up supper on the way home. Anything in particular that you want?"

He looked up brightly and inquired hesitantly, "Sushi?"

I rolled my eyes, "Alright, I'm going to make two stops, so take a nap because Roxas is going to grill you over the fight."

Sora sighed tiredly. I pulled off his shoes and pulled the covers over him. I kissed his forehead gently and said,

"Everything's going to be alright love. Just get some rest."

He pecked my bruised cheek and blushed, "Thank you Axel."

Roxas was a very unhappy camper as we drove to the Japanese take-out place. He had discovered that any and all things related to the very deep purple bruise on my face was off limits for in-car conversation and that made him furious.

I sighed softly when he asked for the eighth time and said firmly,

"It isn't my story to tell. Sora will tell you when we get home. Please Roxy, it isn't that I don't want to tell you I promise. I just feel like you should hear it from your brother."

Roxas sighed softly,

"Fine. I just want to know who hurt you."

I smirked, "I'll tell you that, but nothing else. Are you sure you want to know?"

He gripped my sleave, mindful of the wheel, "Please? Who did it?"

I answered quietly, "Riku."

He dropped my sleeve as if it was on fire and started to splutter in confusion. I shrugged,

"Told you that you should have waited."

When we got back to my apartment Roxas made to tear down the hall, but I grabbed the back of his shirt,

"He's not there love, he's in my room."

I unlocked the door and Roxas disappeared into my room as I got out some plates and dished out everyone's food. I poured three tall glasses of milk and waited patiently for the frantic murmuring that drifted through the house to stop.

Both boys came out with puffy eyes, and I stood up pulling them both into a hug. I was taken aback when dual sets of cobalt blue eyes looked up at me with matching looks of gratitude. They both looked like lost little kittens. I smiled gently,

"Come on now, supper, shower, and bed. Everyone has had a long day."

They nodded but Sora frowned, "What about clothes to wear?"

I ran a hand through his hair gently and said softly,

"Here, you two start eating supper and I'll go get your clothes."

They looked nervous. I waved away their fears,

"Look he's supposed to be at work and even if he is there, he knows he's done wrong."

I lifted the chain on Sora's neck up carefully and removed it. He always kept his key on the chain so he wouldn't lose it. I release the two boys and smiled,

"I'll be right back."

I unlocked the door to Sora and Riku's apartment and realized how much smaller it was than mine. It was neat and tidy save for the pile of blankets on their plushy couch. I walked into the apartment and headed for the room I figured must be the bedroom.

I was pissed to see Riku sitting on the bed with a half empty bottle of vodka. He looked up blearily at me,

"So-hic-Sora?"

I rolled my eyes and turned on the light before I walked over, snatching the bottle out of his hand,

"Are you fucking kidding me man?"

He hissed as the light hit his eyes and he glared at me with squinted, bloodshot eyes,

"Dude I fucked up! I –hic— get it, what do you want from me?"

I huffed, too disgusted to be mad,

"I want you to own up to it. Apologize. Not fucking throw a pity party and drink youself to death."

He snarled, "Why do you c-care!?"

I waved my arm in the air, "Because Sora deserves to have someone who loves him. Unfortunately that boy is head over heels for you and you took him for granted. The only reason I didn't kill you for daring to raise your hand to that kid is because he'd be devastated."

Riku pressed his palms to his eyes to fight back any tears and he yelled,

"I can't make this better Axel! –hic— I wish you would have killed me because now I have t-to live knowing that after I promised to keep Sora safe and love him, I almost…I almost did the very thing I swore to protect him from!"

I smacked the bedspread making him jolt and look up at me,

"Exactly, and THIS," I shook the bottle, "Only ever makes things one thousand times worse. Ever!"

He looked up at me looking lost and I shook my head and said roughly,

"Look, I'm taking this with me and grabbing some clothes for Sora and Roxas. Sleep this off and when you don't look like shit, come knock on my door and if Sora chooses to hear you out then I'll let you in. But you better have one hell of an apology ready."

I riffled through drawers and got the things I needed before exiting the apartment and locking the door behind me. When I got back to the room I told them that Riku was asleep. I kicked the vodka bottle under the couch as I set the pile of clothes on it, and went to eat supper.

After we were all showered and changed I went to get the blankets out of my closet for the couch to see Sora standing there with an angry pout. He stomped petulantly,

"You said we'd talk about it."

I sighed, " Sora, no. Go to bed."

He frowned, "Axel please?"

I shook my head, "No Sora. It wouldn't be appropriate."

Roxas huffed from his place on the bed in question, "But we don't like kicking you out of your bed."

Sora groaned, "You're such an old man Axel! Please? I need someone to sleep beside me or I get scared."

I rolled my eyes, "Roxas will be with you."

He rolled his eyes back, "But Roxas is even shorter than me! Who is he going to protect me from?"

Roxas let out an indignant yelp, "hey!"

I ignored the little blonde and snorted "Who am _I_ going to protect you from? The boogeyman?"

He whimpered and pouted at me and I felt my resolve waver.

"please?"

I frowned, that little sneak is making his eyes wet like that on purpose. He sniffed and I mentally waved the white flag,

"Alright. If it's really that important to you, I'll sleep in here with you."

Roxas giggled and I walked over to the left side of the bed and laid down with my back to the blonde on the other side. I reached for the lamp on the bedside table and said.

"Sora, you have three seconds to get in the bed before I turn the lamp off."

He stood in front of my and whined,

"But I have to sleep on the left side. I feel weird on the other side."

I was too tired to argue and I scooted backwards to the middle of the large bed and growled,

"There. Now get into bed and turn out the light."

Sora did so eagerly and I closed my eyes and began to drift when I heard shuffling from either side. I lifted my head up and it stopped, both boys being completely still. I laid back down and the shuffling started again.

I blew out a breath in frustration and rolled onto my back, I reached out under the blankets and grabbed both brothers around the waist, yanking them to my sides. They let our twin yelps of surprise before relaxing against me.

I looked down to see both boys nuzzle into their respective side. I chuckled,

"Is everyone happy now?"

They nodded. "Good. Now, I love you both but if I don't get some sleep, I really might kick you both out of my bed."

They giggled and said at the same time,

"Goodnight Axel."

I smiled fondly,

"Goodnight angels."

**That is it for the second installment but don't worry, there's still one more to come. Hopefully within the next week or so.**

**Let me know if you liked it! **


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